When He Sleeps
by Caitlinxz
Summary: A war erupts between vampires and hunters. And Kaname, Zero, and Yuki are right in the middle of it. The war finishes in one battle that leaves Yuki dead, Zero in a coma, and Kaname supporting the delicate balance between hunters and vampires. Kaname/Zero
1. Even Angels Sleep

**Rating**: M

Author's** Note**: So I know I haven't completed any multichapter story I've written. That is because I had everything planned out in my head, and then my stupid computer crashed and I stopped writing for an entire summer, and all the little plot bunnies from my previous stories just vanished, taking all my inspiration with it. But here I was actually smart enough to outline my stories on an actual document online instead of hording everything inside my head. And this plot bunny was way too fluffy and big to not write.

I already have the second chapter a quarter of the way done, so there's no reason for me to take like a year to update. Vampire Knight is my new love fanfiction wise. Well, Kaname/Zero is. BlackenedWing is the main source of this love. I mean, her stories are absolutely incredible. I wait on pins and needles for an update, and her entire duet series is amazing. And if anything in this story is familiar with any of her stories, then I apologize. :x I might have put some things that sounded similar without realizing it.

Anyways, enjoy :3

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><p>He felt a world of pain wash through his body. His breath came out in short ragged breaths and his eyes shut tightly. <em>Oh god<em>, he thought miserably. Never did he think that dying would be this painful, not even after the many times he had contemplated just ending his life during his development into a vampire. His head began to spin with dizziness as his injured body tried desperately to heal itself. But it was too late. . .he felt himself begin to fade in and out of awareness and he felt his body begin to go numb. His injuries were too severe and he lost too much blood. But for the moment, he didn't care. His body throbbed with blinding pain, but beyond that was a whole different kind of pain. His heart ached with loss. Tears filled his stinging eyes.

Then he heard a voice. It sounded close. He felt gentle hands grip his head. The voice whispered soothing words to him. His eyes were still closed as the pain blurred his senses. All he knew was that the presence was harmless and gentle. Maybe if his head wasn't throbbing wasn't so much, he would've figured out who it was.

Suddenly he felt a heat begin to spread across his head. He let out a startled breath and struggled a bit. The person holding him whispered something in a calming voice and softly cradled his head on their lap. The fire in his head spread faster; he felt it swirl inside his head. He should've felt petrified of what was happening, which he kind of was, but not as much as he expected he would be. The person's voice and hands compelled him to relax. It made him feel safe in this hell.

Maybe if the pain engulfing his body wasn't too much, he would've figured out what the person was doing.

The heat dimmed and he slumped in the person's hold. A strange electricity seemed coursed through his body; all the way from his feet to the tips of his fingers. It was a strange powerful force stringing across his veins, seeming to burn everywhere it touched. His breathing came out harsh and quick and sweat formed on his foreheads, beads of it running down his face. Whatever was happening to him was too much. It was straining his abused body and making him leap in and out of consciousness. He felt like he barely had the energy to keep breathing.

His dry mouth open in an attempt to say something - _what's happening? What are you doing to me? Who are you?_ - but all he could make out was a ragged gasp. He tried to open his eyes, but his eyelids felt much too heavy. He settled for raising his trembling hand to clutch at the person's shirt. His numb fingers couldn't even feel what material the cloth was made out of.

A hand caressed his face tenderly, and he unconsciously leaned into the gesture. It felt good. In the world of pain he was in, that one touch seemed to bring a part of him back to life.

The fire was calming now, but in its departure he felt a whole new kind of feeling hit him. It was a fleeting feeling. He knew he was losing something, but he just didn't know what. His body felt like he was beginning to freeze, but he could still feel himself sweating.

He used the last of his strength to open his bleary eyes. At first everything was a blur of colors, but slowly it began to clear. The person above him inhaled sharply and caressed his cheek one last time.

"I'm so sorry. Please, try to forgive me."

And suddenly he recognized the voice. Finally his dizzy mind found the clarity to realize who it was cradling him. His eyes cleared up, and he locked gazes with the face above him. He saw the deep mournful eyes, and the tears falling down the graceful cheek. There was also blood, dripping from their mouth . . . and nose. . . Even in his messed up state, the fact that they were bleeding scared him.

The person let out a small sad smile. "Goodbye, Zero."

And then his world went black.

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><p>"Three of his ribs are broken. He has a fracture in his right arm and several deep cuts on his left shoulder. We removed two bullets in his leg and one in his right shoulder. His wounds were bleeding profusely, but we managed to close them. Didn't even need to stitch them up; they should be completely healed in a few hours," the woman reported calmly.<p>

Yagari snorted. "Oh that's all? For a second I thought he was actually hurt," he retorted sarcastically. He scowled darkly and turned his head to the side, averting Cross' glare at him. The doctor said she had to list a few minor injuries, not that she would be listing a fucking book of wounds.

"They are a lot better than the originally reported. The squad who found him said he was barely breathing; to have him brought to the hospital in this condition is - in absence of a better word - a miracle." She caught the discreet relieved look from Yagari and Cross' sigh of content. "You two must've been praying really hard," she added as an afterthought.

A silence enveloped the room. If only the women knew how they were practically on their hands and knees hoping Zero would feel better.

"How long was he . . . asleep?" Kaien asked quietly, breaking the silence. He glanced over at the figure lying in the bed, at the face that was calm despite his injuries. The doctor followed his gaze and arched an eyebrow.

"Asleep? More like in a coma. And from the looks of it, he was unconscious for almost a month. When they found him he was severely unnourished. We have no idea how he lived lying there for days, but he did." There was another moment of silence as they processed the information. The doctor used this as an opportunity to scroll through her reports again. Yes, it truly was strange. The medical squad that was exploring the area in search of survivors concluded Zero must've been laying there for at least a few days based on how little nourishment his the body had and how dehydrated he was. But he was alive; in the midst of dozens of dead bodies, he was the only one breathing. The fact that they couldn't wake Zero up no matter what they tried scared them at first, but they quickly came to the conclusion that he must've been in some sort of coma. He was kept in that state for three weeks until the rescue team came and drove them back to Cross Academy.

"He should be fully functional and conscious in an hour. His body is just shutting down for a bit so it can recover naturally. We have a few painkillers to give him after he wakes up, so he should feel little to no pain," the doctor said calmly, and then raised her eyes from her clip board to look at Kaien. She saw the way he struggled to keep up right, but that there was an undeniable exhausted vibe seeping out of him. He'll wake up soon, and I will make sure that the nurses call you first thing."

But Kaien shook his head quickly. "No," he said firmly, "I want to be here when he wakes up."

The doctor, more or less expecting this answer, only sighed disapprovingly but didn't protest any further. She faced Yagari, who was standing a few feet away from Cross, and arched an eyebrow in question. But he merely shook his head in agreement. The doctor shrugged and finished writing the last few things on her paper, making sure to keep it as up to date as possible for the two obviously worried men.

"You can go if you want. You know I'll make sure he's okay," Kaien muttered quietly to Yagari once he figured the doctor wasn't paying any further attention to them. He knew Yagari would merely shrug him off in front of a stranger.

The hunter scolded and turned away. "What makes you think I want to leave so bad?" he grunted out bitterly. He knew Cross didn't mean what Yagari himself was assuming, but he was too tired to think correctly, let alone form them into words.

Thankfully, Kaien just smiled wearily and put his arms up in a joking surrendering gesture. "You haven't slept in a few days; I just thought you needed to relax for a bit. I've never seen you this tense," he said, concern creeping into his voice. It was true that Cross accidentally dozed off for a few hours, but always up to find Yagari staring blankly at a spot on the wall, his face sullen. It looked like he hadn't even had a blink of sleep since Zero was found in the woods. Kaien suspected that the main reason Yagari didn't sleep was because of his guilt, and that if he fell asleep Zero wouldn't be alive when he woke up, and that he'd never be able to repent. But Cross didn't dare voice it, knowing how sensitive his friend was to those sorts of emotional topics.

But Yagari more of less seemed to catch on to his trail of thoughts and his scold deepened. "Don't get ahead of yourself," he grumbled. "And of course I'm tense. My former student was found in the middle of a battle ground half dead, and now he's in a coma. It hasn't exactly been the best week."

Kaien stared at him sadly, knowing his way of trying to bitter about the situation was his way of covering up the hurt he was feeling. But he didn't want to press any further in fear he might get Yagari really angry, so he just smiled tiredly and glanced at the doctor. She was peeking over her clip board, obviously eaves dropping, but quickly looked back down at her paper when she saw she had been caught.

She coughed slightly to break the tense atmosphere. She glanced up at the clock to see it was getting late, and she began picking up her stuff.

Kaien and Yagari made their way to their spots on the chairs in front of Zero's sleeping form. The small scraping sound of the chairs filled the quiet room, along with the beeps of the heart monitor. The only true sign Zero was still alive.

It wasn't right, having machines breathe for him, and for a small beeping sound to be the only thing to prove he was still with them. There were wires that seemed to sprout out his arms, blood flowing from the bags of blood that hung next to him to him, keeping him alive. He knew that fact kind of disturbed Yagari, but Kaien didn't mind. Especially because Kaien knew where the blood was coming from, but he decided to not tell Yagari because it would probably anger him even more.

But despite the blood, Zero was still deathly pale. But instead of making him look disturbing, it gave him almost a surreal glow. Something that made him look too delicate to touch. It scared Kaien more then he'd admit to see the strong and stubborn Zero so weak, so fragile.

When Cross and Yagari had first heard the news about Zero, they had insisted on going to where they were keeping Zero in the woods. But since the place was still considered a battle zone, the pair had to wait pins and needles until Zero was finally moved to a hospital nearby. It's been a few days, but neither of them have left the hospital since, unless it was to hear reports from the doctors about Zero's current state or for Kaien to fill out some paper work in Cross Academy. For the first few days, the doctors didn't tell them anything since they were still trying to figure out what happened themselves. All they were told so far was that it was a miracle that Zero was alive, and that was all.

Suddenly, both hunters sensed a presence at the entrance of the room. They didn't even need to look up to see who it was. Yagari frowned deeply and his shoulders tensed slightly, but he didn't say anything. Kaien smiled warmly at the figure, welcoming him in.

Kaname Kuran stepped inside the room, making his way to the two hunters in smooth strides. He didn't need Cross's encouragement to enter the room, but he appreciated the gesture. He knew Yagari didn't welcome him. In retrospect, he probably detested the thought of being anywhere near the pureblood. But the hunter stayed where he was, scolding at the bed sheets, and ignored his presence as best he could.

Kaname took a seat next to Kaien, leaning back against the chair. Cross could tell Kaname was beyond tired, but of course the pureblood didn't dare show it in front of anyone. He kept his demeanor impassive, staring at the boy sleeping on the white sheets. The luminous fluorescent lighting illuminated the bed and the person in it. Despite everything, it made Zero look more like a sleeping angel instead of an injured vampire in a coma. It was better to think of the former, it was a more serene thought.

"How are things at the academy?" Kaien asked, more out of habit than anything else. Since the treaty was created, Kaname had to take charge making sure everything went smoothly, and that the Hunter Association didn't try to take advantage of the situation. Cross had to deal with a bit of paper work, because he owned Cross Academy, the only co-existing school that was created so far between humans and vampires. And that's where the first battle sprouted, so he had to deal with a few legal things, but nothing that took him too far away from where Zero was. Kaname, on the other hand, was left to represent the co-existent part of Cross Academy, as he was the only pureblood there. And he was a Kuran. He had to attend many affairs to seal the treaty and make sure nothing back fired and starting another catastrophic war. It was a very tedious and tiring task that unfortunately kept him away from being with them at the hospital, but Kaien understood it was essential as his part to ending the war, as much as it seemed to kill Kaname.

The pureblood quirked a small smile, seeing the small worry etched in Cross's voice. He always had a soft spot for the academy. "Things are going better, but the Hunter Association isn't pleased that they're not getting the better half of the deal." Something dark flashed through his eyes. "I guess what comes around goes around," he quoted a bit cryptically, turning his head back to Zero. His hand curled tighter at his side.

"Are things here any better?" he muttered, his voice a little rough. Kaien glanced at Zero and let out a warm smile to reassure Kaname.

"It's the same as the doctor told you this morning," Kaien paused, furrowing his eyebrows slightly, "or night. . .Whatever you prefer to call it," he said, a hint of a joke creeping into his tone. It was always like Kaien, to try to warm up the mood, putting his own discomfort to cheer up others.

"They say he should wake up soon." Kaien sighed and looked at Kaname. "What are we suppose to tell him when he does?" he muttered.

A small smile appeared on Kaname's face, but it was hollow. "We'll make something up," he said calmly. He was too exhausted to make up a rational explanation to Cross.

Abruptly, a small buzzing noise erupted the silence that engulfed them momentarily. Kaname quickly reached inside his pocket and took out the small vibrating expensive phone. His eyes narrowed when he saw the name on the screen, and flipped the phone open to see the text. He frowned deeply and his hand tightened its hold the phone until a small cracking noise made him stop. He let out a small sigh of frustration, but he got up anyways.

He stared at Zero sadly, pocketing the phone. "I have to go. Apparently something of such dire importance that it has to include me has come up in the treaty," he almost growled out, his voice laced with sarcasm and bitterness. He knew it probably wasn't even that big of a deal that it had to have requested an emergency meeting. The Hunter Association has been pulling up a lot of crap just to state it's authority that it could if it wanted to, since they were still bitter of their loss. Kaname knew he could ignore it, but it was his job as the representative as the co-existing vampire community to please the hags and keep them happy. It still hurt, though, that it interfered with him visiting Zero. It made him feel inexplicably guilty for being born the prince of vampires, a_ Kuran_, and for not being able to just keep watch over the hunter, something he wanted to do so badly it hurt.

"We'll watch him," Kaien said, as if reading his thoughts. He grabbed hold of Kaname's wrists, squeezing them gently in reassurance, then let go. Yagari's face scrunched up the slightest bit, pissed with doing anything that would please a pureblood, especially _this_ one, but didn't argue. It wasn't like he was going to get up and leave Zero just to spite Kuran.

Kaname nodded, his eyes silently thanking Kaien. He gave Zero's sleeping form one last long, somber look before turning away reluctantly and leaving the two hunters.

Cross stared at a small patch on the wall. He felt bad that he couldn't take on Kaname's responsibilities, since some of them were technically his. But he knew he couldn't provide the authority that Kaname could - since he was a pureblood it was almost impossible to defy him - and he would call much more support from the vampire community that Kaien couldn't even hope for. He knew it was in Kaname's nature to put the weight of everything on his shoulders because he was a pureblood and that's how he was raised to be, but Kaien knew sometimes it was too much for the young vampire. He still looked at Kaname as the child that no one ever gave him the chance to be, and it saddened him that he couldn't do much more than sit on a hospital chair looking after Zero. But he knew that the pureblood would want him nowhere else, so that's where he stayed loyally.

He stared at Zero, guilty all over again. There was so much pent up guilt inside him, for not being able to take care of the people he considered to be like his children. He felt like he failed all of them, and now they were the ones paying the price of his mistakes.

Kaien shook his head softly, shaking the solemn thoughts out his head. No, sitting around feeling remorseful wouldn't accomplish anything.

He would stay besides Zero until he woke up, even if was the last thing he would do. It was the _only_ thing he could do.

_Soon_, he thought. _Soon_ . . .


	2. Vertigo

**Author's Note**: Okay okay, I realize it has been a long time since the last update, and I have reasons (*cough* excuses *cough*) ! My laptop broke. Whoop, big surprise. That trash lasted me only 9 months. BUT NOW I learned that Acer products are not for me. I'll stick with HP. So I finished this lovely chapter on the first night I got my new laptop, except of course that just happened to be the day Fanfiction decided to be on it's period and have issues with Doc manager. But never fear, here is the next chapter. Thank you for the reviews :) It makes cookies fly out of my heart when I get them. So if you want cookies, review. If you don't then no cookie for you. And you'll feel left out for being the only person without a cookie while everyone is happily munching away. Don't be the outcast. Review.

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><p>When Zero finally tried to open his eyes, he realized he couldn't. They felt like dead weight that refused to budge. There was a strange lightness throughout him and he got the distinct feeling that his body was numb. He heard a beeping noise, but it seemed to be muffled by cotton. He tried to open his mouth but it seemed to be as uncooperative as his eyes.<p>

Voices registered his dull and blurry senses. He tried to make sense of what they were saying but he could only make out the fact that they were male. His thoughts were a jumbled mess of whos and whats. Despite feeling like hell and having no idea what was going on, he didn't feel like he was in any immediate danger.

He tried to clear his head. Think rationally, he thought grimly. His thoughts whirled around trying to recall the last thing he remembered.

And . . .nothing. Not even a flash of something. He pried and pried but just pulled up a blank.

For the moment he decided to blame it on his groggy state of mind.

He swallowed, trying to get his throat to work properly. It was rough and felt like he was swallowing a lump of coal, but he managed it.

"So much for being a caring pureblood bastard. The least he could do was show up."

"Give him a break, he has a lot of things to do. Believe me, if he could be here he would."

Finally Zero recognized the voices. Cross and Yagari. The small ball of fear in his gut relaxed. But even as he came to that realization, he sensed himself to beginning to slip back into unconsciousness.

There was the sound of something opening that registered his thoughts as he fought to stay awake. Then a voice that sounded familiar, though he couldn't put a name on it, sounded throughout the room.

"Yes, despite you believing that I am merely a conniving leech, Cross is right."

Suddenly, his hunter senses raged at the presence.

A pureblood.

His eyes suddenly snapped open, and he shot up out of the bed. He immediately regretted it. His head throbbed painfully and his eyes began to sting. White dots danced in front of his eyes and for a moment he feared he would pass out. He shut them tight because of the brightness, but when he tried to shield them from the light with his hand, he realized they were restrained. He managed to open them to slits and he glanced down at his arm. There was small thin tubes connected to the inside of his elbow, and there was blood flowing through them. He stared at it. An urge tugged at him for a moment as he became mesmerized with the slow pumping of the blood. And then he realized; he was hungry.

But before his eyes could blaze red and his fangs could lengthen, Kaien spoke.

"Oh my god."

Zero turned his head against the blaring lights, cursing softly in head head when it made the throbbing between his temples worse. Really, who decided to make hospital lights so god damn bright?

But he forced his eyes open anyway, making out Cross' blurry face. Not that he needed to, because he knew that ridiculous scarf anywhere. Zero couldn't help but smile.

"Cross," he croaked out, his voice raw and raspy. He coughed slightly and leaned forward to get a better look of where he was.

But than he was enveloped in a hug. Cross held him tight and was talking in a big mess of words sounding like thank god and worry and don't you dare scare me like that again. Zero leaned back at the force of the man's weight, but prided himself for staying steady. Tentatively and aware of his sore body, he lifted his arms to return the hug. Whatever had happened, it really had worried Kaein.

Finally Cross stepped back, smiling down at the closest thing he had to a son. "How are you feeling? Are you light headed? Do you feel tired? How about your legs, can you move them?"

"Jesus, Kaein, the kid just woke up, give him some time to breathe." And that voice Zero would know anywhere.

He smiled wearily. "Master Yagari," he said, his voice considerably less raspy. He glanced over to the side to see his old teacher sitting there with a ridiculous looking smile on his face that he was sure his master would kill him if he ever mentioned it to him. When he saw Zero staring at him he coughed and tried to make his expression indifferent.

"Hey, kid. It's good to see you among the living again," he said teasingly but with fondness. He turned a glare to Cross. "You're suffocating him, give him some space."

Kaein didn't even return his glare, just stepped back. He was still grinning.

With Cross not in his field of vision Zero could make out the person that had made his hunter senses react so strongly. The pureblood.

Even if he hadn't seen the Night Class uniform he'd know who they were.

Kaname Kuran.

His face curled in anger. "What is he doing here?" he growled. He was talking to Cross and Yagari, but he kept his steady glare on the vampire.

Kaien's smile deflated as he turned to look at Yagari. The hunter just shrugged and leaned back against his chair.

"Zero," Kaien started, leaning forward again from where he sat on the bed to get his attention. Zero reluctantly retracted his glare and furrowed his eyebrows in question to Cross.

"Kaname is here to help you," he continued. But before he could explain anymore Zero cut him off.

"I don't want help from a pureblood, least of all him," he said with so much disgust in his voice it made even Yagari cringe. Kaien looked at him with wide eyes.

"Zero!" he scolded, and then looked back to Kaname with pleading eyes. "I'm so sorry he-" Cross cut himself off, not knowing how to continue.

But Kaname was just standing there, his body tense but doing a good job of not letting it show in his face. His cellphone dangled from his fingers, almost dropping to the floor from his slack grip on them. His eyes were wide.

Kaname kept his gaze on Zero, which fueled the ex-human's irritation. He seemed to snap out of his small trance and his face smoothed itself out from any emotion. "It's okay, Cross, really." He tore his gaze from Zero and turned to the man with a small encouraging smile. But even Yagari could tell that it wavered. "I'll go get the nurses."

Kaien looked like he was about to protest or plead some more, but Kaname cut him off with a small shake of his head. He stared solemnly at Zero.

"What?" Zero bit out, uncomfortable under the heavy gaze, but unable to stop himself from glaring.

Kaname didn't say anything, just stared a bit longer before turning and leaving the room. The sound of the door closing rang throughout the room.

Kaien turned to scold Zero, but stopped himself when Yagari caught his gaze and shook his head at him. He opened his mouth to say something and then closed it, deciding to leave it alone.

"How are you feeling?" he asked instead. Fatherly worry crept into his voice, making Zero forget about Kuran and roll his eyes.

"I'm fine, really," he said and took it as a good sign when his voice didn't croak. He sat up straighter and tried to move his legs. They felt numb - really numb - but they moved nevertheless and that was what counted. With that out of the way, he turned to Kaein with a serious look.

"What happened?" he asked, because he really couldn't remember. His mind was still groggy and he was still incredibly weary, and when he tried to think back to the last thing he did it felt like a jumbled mess of colors and movement. It hurt when he tried to pry too far, so he let it go.

This time Yagari was the one who answered. "You were in a coma, kid. Been out for about four weeks." He leaned forward and patted his shoulder. "It's really good to see you awake."

Zero blinked. "A coma?" His head throbbed again when he tried to recall how that had happened. "How the hell did I get myself into a coma?"

And then suddenly he remembered, the roar of bullets and the screams. The bodies. The blood. Guns and knifes lunging everywhere as he tried to protect someone. He closed his eyes as the images burned inside his head.

Cross held Zero when he saw the pain etched in his face. "Zero, please don't try too hard to remember. Don't strain yourself," he hushed as he petted the hair back from Zero's face.

More blood. More pain. More bodies. Fangs and red rimmed eyes everywhere he turned.

"The war," Zero finally choked out between the harsh intakes of breath. "They came to Cross Academy. We were fighting. I - she." He blinked hard. She?

He shook his head, dispelling the thought. "Is everyone okay?" He moved back so he could look at Kaien's face.

The man's grip around him went slack and he was staring at him strangely. Zero furrowed his eyebrows at him and turned to Yagari, just to see that he was giving him the same look.

"What?" he muttered, confused by how they were staring at him. Like he was about to go crazy and jump off the walls.

Cross gave him a tight smile. "Nothing, Zero, really. We're all fine." And before the ex-human could question him more, people came swarming into the room.

There was a woman, Dr. Craye (at least that's what her name tag said), who rushed towards him. He scooted away as the doctor leaned into his personal space and scrutinized his face. She grabbed hold of his jaw and turned his face from side to side, muttering unintelligible words.

Kaien sat back, relaxed for the first time in weeks, knowing Zero was in good capable hands. Dr. Craye could be a hand full at times, but she was good at what she did.

Then he felt a sharp gaze directed towards him and turned swiftly to see Kaname at the door, ignored by the commotion of all the doctors and nurses surrounding Zero. He nodded his head in the direction of the hallway before turning away and leaving.

Cross understood the signal and excused himself and dismissed Yagari's questioning stare. He stopped by Dr. Craye, warning her to be gentle with him when he saw her practically shoving a flash light in Zero's eye. She just grumbled and waved him off.

As he walked away and headed towards the vacant halls where Kaname was waiting for him, the only thought that crossed through his head was they had a lot to talk about.

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><p><strong>P.S. <strong>I believe Zero can be excused for smiling in this chapter. Being half comatose should relax the frown lines a bit.


	3. Nostalgia is Blood Deep

**Author's Note (please read):** Okay so it has come to my attention that I have not clarified many things. For one, this is AU from the point where Rido enters the plot line. So **1****)** Yuki isn't related (by blood) to Kaname in any way. **2)** She isn't a vampire or a pureblood. More things will be pieced together as the story unfolds.

And yes this is my shortest chapter, but it's because this is more of an interlude so you can get to see more of an idea on what's going on. And it clears some things up. Enjoy ~

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><p>Kaien really didn't know how to start the conversation when he walked towards Kaname, who was leaning against the white hospital wall. His body was stiff in a way that only he was able to notice, since everyone else was fooled by Kaname's indifferent facade. He saw the emotions written across his face. Sadness, anxiety, worry, care.<p>

He swallowed, "I thought you had a meeting," he started, not knowing what else to say. No, that wasn't exactly it. He had so much to say. He just didn't know how to get it all to leave his mouth in one piece.

Kaname raised his eyebrow at him. "It has been delayed. But by now you obviously know I'm not going to go. Not after this."

Kaien nodded in understanding. He stepped forward, meeting Kaname's eyes. "I can't do this. Lying to him. Telling him that everything is all right when it's not."

Kaname stared at him, the cold hard stare that made lesser men tremble. Cross was just able to keep himself from flinching.

"You agreed, Cross, that this was the best thing to do. The best thing for _Zero._" His eyes narrowed. "You have to try."

"This isn't-" Kaien began to yell, stopping himself when a nurse hurried past them. She gave them a suspicious look before scurrying inside of Zero's room. Only the best money could buy for Kiriyu.

He breathed in to calm himself and lowered his voice. "This isn't _fair_ to him. He has a right to know. We can't keep it a secret from him forever."

"No, what isn't fair is that he almost _died_ out there and has been in a coma for weeks!" Kaname snapped, his eyes blaring. "I'm not going to let him get hurt anymore. That's final."

Kaien's face gentled and he sighed sympathetically. "Kaname, I know what happened is terrible. I miss her too." His eyes shined a bit in the fluorescent light, but he held back the tears. It still hurt unbearably, thinking about her.

"But there's nothing we can do about it. Yuki is-"

"Don't," Kaname cut off. His voice had changed from the strong steel tone into an almost raspy sob. Kaien's heart broke a bit when he heard the waver in his words, the small plead in them. Kaname's eyes were two brown orbs of pain. "Don't say it, Cross. Just don't."

Kaien put an arm comfortingly on the vampire's shoulder. Some part of him wanted to push the subject, so he could get his point across, but he couldn't bare do that to Kaname, not in the state he was in. He decided to let it go.

"This isn't only your problem, it's all of ours. You don't have to go through this alone, Kaname."

The pureblood stood still and silent, his eyes wavering ever so slightly on Cross. Kaien dropped his arm to his side.

"But it doesn't have to be Zero's problem. He can be free of this. _Please_." And that ended the discussion right there and then. Kaien had never heard Kaname beg for anything, not in that way. Not with that raw desperation.

Cross rubbed at his temple. In the last few minutes he felt like he'd aged years. There was so much questions, so much things that were not right with the situation. But he pushed that all aside for the moment.

Kaname nodded, taking Cross' silence as a sign of agreement. "What about Yagari?" he asked skeptically. Kaien he would believe on his word alone; Yagari was another matter completely. To begin with the hunter could barely stand being in the same room with him for a long period of time, not without cursing under his breath every five minutes. He would rather chew glass than to follow Kaname's order. And worst of all he never approved of the plan to begin with. Hell, he yelled and cursed at him for doing what he did to Zero, even though they knew it was the best case scenario.

Cross hummed thoughtfully. "I'll talk to him," he said finally. He knew it would be hard, but Yagari would listen to him, even though it would take a while. And he'd be grumpy about it because the pureblood was involved.

Kaname nodded, considering the best option at the moment. "We should go back then," he said, turning towards the door.

"I know you still care about him, Kaname, and I know it hurts that he doesn't remember you." There was a pause where the pureblood froze in his foot steps. Kaien swallowed. "But I want you to know that I will always be here if you need anything. You're not alone."

The silence filled the small hallway. There was the insistent ticking of a clock that grated on Kaname's nerves, but he pushed that fact aside.

"I know," was his only response. But it was hollow. He appreciated Cross' comfort, he really did, but there were somethings that couldn't be helped. There was that bone deep ache he felt when Zero woke up. The eyes that glared at him with hatred and disgust. The words that came out of his mouth reminded him of the boy who thought he was better off dead because he was a vampire. It made him remember the time where those eyes looked at him with a different emotion, where the hunter actually believed there was a reason for living.

He emotionally clamped himself. It wasn't the time nor place for those thoughts.

Cross walked ahead of him this time, putting on a smile when he opened the door to Zero's room. Sometimes he forgot how much pressure was on him too, having to put up the facade of the happy-go-lucky headmaster.

He steeled himself up, making sure to keep his face blank of any emotion as he made his way inside to greet the doctors and a person who meant so much to him who now barely remembered his name.


	4. Healing

**I'm so sorry for the wait! I had no internet connection and I know it's a lousy excuse but it's true D: But look it's here and it has a _little plot twist._ Oooh see I am nice. Thank you all for the reviews because they make me happy, and when I'm happy I type faster. Review this chapter and you get a PONY that SINGS.**

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><p>The doctors had taken their sweet time making sure Zero was as healthy as can be when he woke up. They had run all sorts of tests on him - even psychiatric tests - to see how his condition was. When they saw he was in no immediate danger, they swept him out of his room to ask him some questions in a more "comfortable and safe environment."<p>

Zero felt they were under the impression that he was still in shock, due to the way they carefully phrased their questions and how they didn't touch him unless strictly necessary. He was glad about one thing, though, that Kaname didn't follow them into the private room. He had only been in his presence for half an hour and the pureblood had already made his skin crawl.

But Kaien and Yagari weren't allowed in either, so he was stuck alone with the Dr. I-can't-respect-personal-space and a group of overly enthusiastic and, quite frankly, annoying nurses who watched him like a specimen. Whenever he even as much blinked too much they muttered something under their breath and began scribbling things down in their little notepads.

All in all, though, Zero was beginning to feel much better. The throbbing in his head had cleared thanks to something the doctor had made him drink. But it had been humiliating when they removed the thin tube of blood that had been keeping him alive, because of that part inside of his brain that hated anything vampire, anything he desired because of that bite. The small ache of hunger in his chest had disappeared once he left the tempting blood behind.

He asked - once they were away from Kaname, Kaien, and Yagari - where the blood came from. The doctor just shrugged and said, "It was given willingly." He didn't ask about it again.

"Okay, Kiriyu, I'm going to ask you some simple questions and you're gonna give me some simple answers. Understand?" He nodded slowly, raising an eyebrow where she pulled out a chair in front of him. She sat - closer than he'd like - and tapped her pen repeatedly on her clipboard.

"I know it's a lot to digest at once, but there have been people waiting for you to wake up for a long time, so I want nothing more for you to get back to them as quick as possible." He nodded again, more alert, and readied his mind for the questions.

She glanced down at her clipboard. "First question, are you having any cravings for blood at the moment?"

Zero blinked, shocked for a moment at the abrupt and bluntness of the question. But the doctor had her eyes narrowed at him, a serious light in them that wasn't there before.

"This is an important question, Kiriyu, so answer it honestly. Since you've woken up have you had any urges to consume blood?"

That hit a nerve. Zero's drinking of blood had always been a tough issue to talk about, even with Cross, and he certainly didn't feel like talking about it with a stranger who he had just met.

But then he remembered that moment when he woke up, where he felt that almost tangible thirst for the blood that had been pumping inside him. How _hungry_he had been.

"It's gone now," was all he said, because he wouldn't tell this stranger more. She seemed to understand this, at least, because she just curled her lip a bit and jotted something down.

The rest of the questions were a blur of basically the same things repeated over and over. If his head was fine, how his eyesight was, if he could move his body without struggling.

Then she took his blood, and Zero found that nagging bit of hunger that had been coiled inside him in a tight ball get bigger, and he had to glance away from the sight of his own blood being drawn through the small tube. If she noticed she didn't say anything.

But Zero found it all worth it when he was sent back to his room, and Cross and Yagari were there waiting for him. Kaname was also in the room, near the back, but he pointedly chose to ignore him.

Cross enveloped him in a hug, and in Zero's weary state he didn't even try to fight him off, and to be honest, he really didn't want to.

When Cross released him Yagari merely patted Zero's shoulder, but his teacher had never been very physically affectionate. But Zero could tell from the look on their faces that they were relieved to see him up.

But finally Zero asked what had been nagging on him since he woke up. "What the hell happened?"

Cross and Yagari exchanged a look. "You should sit down first," Cross said, gesturing to the hospital bed.

Zero reluctantly sat down. He didn't like the way the two seemed to be avoiding the question. He sat patiently, waiting for either one of them to answer his question. Zero glanced Kaname and tried not to glare at the pureblood.

"What did the doctor say," Cross asked after a moment of silence. He tapped his fingers on his lap, a nervous habit he had developed. Yagari said nothing.

"She said I'm fine," Zero said with a bit more edge than he meant. He swallowed nervously. If Kaien didn't answer his question, it because of something bad. "Cross, what _happened_?"

Another moment of silence passed, the insistent ticking of the clock the ringing throughout the room.

Yagari was the one who broke the silence. "The war in Cross Academy - you remember it, right?"

Zero nodded slowly. He remembered most of it, though there was some blanks. At the moment he blamed it on his injuries and whatever the hell had happened to him.

"Is everyone okay?" He asked, repeating his question from earlier. He had never gotten a clear answer from either of them. Kaien and Yagari glanced at each other again.

"Most of them,," Cross answered as gently as he could. Even with Zero not being in his most perspective state, he could tell Cross was sugar-coating it.

He stared down at his hands, the images of blood and red eyes coming back into his mind. The screaming. His hand curled into a tight fist.

"You saved as many as you could, Zero. You did your best."

He nodded numbly despite a part of him feeling like he could've done more - _knowing_he could've done more.

Suddenly images - different ones - flashed through his head. Of a destroyed field.

"Wait, there was a battle in a field, right? I was in it?" Zero asked, alert. He glanced up at Kaien and Yagari.

They both seemed looked at him with wide eyes. Kaname stood stoically against the wall in the back, unblinking.

"Yes," Cross answered slowly. "That's actually where you got injured. A vampire got the slip on you. If it weren't for Kaname you'd probably be gone by n-"

"Wait - what do you mean if it wasn't for Kuran" Zero interrupted, scrunching his face in confusion and narrowed his eyes at the pureblood. Kaname, on his part, didn't move a muscle.

Cross arched an eyebrow. "Didn't the doctor tell you? It was Kaname's blood that kept you alive for all those weeks."


	5. Damage Control

**I'm a horrible, horrible person, and you all have a right to hate me for not updating in over a year. I have no excuse, except for life and motivation just leaving me. I didn't even plan on continuing this, except I was looking through my old documents and got a sudden urge of muse that made up this chapter.**

**I'll be honest with you guys, I only have a vague idea of the plot line that I had been planning before, so now I have to improvise with some things. Which most likely means I will edit the last few chapters to tweak a few details that will go with my new plot for this story. Don't worry; it's basically the same thing, just a few time differences and details that I would rather edit to make more sense for further chapters. I will write an author's note when I do edit these things and I will also explain some differences between this story and the manga.**

**I will really, from the bottom of my heart, try to update more frequently. Reviews keep my motivation up, trust me, and thank you so much for putting up with me. Enjoy~**

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><p>It was almost surreal, really, to have the once huge and beautiful Cross Academy in pieces. Zero almost couldn't believe it as he walked around the ruins of a place that wasn't exactly home, but was close enough.<p>

There were dozens or more students around him, pale and weary looking, trying to clean up the mess. Some still in their uniforms, others merely in baggy worn out clothes. The place where usually was abuzz with day class girls squealing and gossiping was now deathly silent as those same girls, now seeming years older, quietly picked up the shattered pieces of the wreckage.

He had never seen anything so _wrong_ before, so broken down. He quickly went over to help the two girls pick up a chipped off piece of cement from one of the buildings and carried it over to where the others were mounting the remains.

The girls thanked him politely and bowed their heads before going over to clean up another part. They had to go over some of the broken pieces that were much too large to haul off immediately and went to help some of their other classmates near the entrance.

Zero inhaled sharply, both from pain and guilt, the same underlying guilt that nagged at him from behind, reminding him that there should have been something else he could've done to protect Cross Academy and the people in it.

He wasn't even actually suppose to be out of the hospital yet, but because of how fiercely he hated just laying around doing nothing while Kaien and Yagari went around trying to clear up the mess he should've helped prevent he demanded to be let out. The doctors, though highly advising against it, saw that they couldn't stop him and reluctantly let him leave. Apparently they were under Kaname Kuran's order to let Zero dictate himself, unless he was causing any severe damage to himself. It ticked him off, that even after he had been forced to have that pureblood bastard's blood inside of himself for _weeks_, the other vampire could still have some control over his life.

After that, he had forced Kaien and Yagari to take him to the academy to see what was left. Almost half of the building was in a collapsed heap on the floor, only rubble and dust left from what used to be the day class dorms. Some parts of the night class dorms had been destroyed too, but the establishment was mostly stable. Currently that was where the day class students who hadn't been sent home yet were staying, at least according to Cross. Some of the students left home, for obvious reason, but most stayed due to their loyalty for their fallen friends. They understood Cross was rebuilding the school, and they wanted to help build it, even if only to cherish the memories the place had offered in the past.

It was going much smoother and quicker than anyone would have suspected though, thanks to a certain pureblood's money and sponsorship getting much needed equipment and professional help on board. Still, many of the students preferred to help by hand, instead of just lying in the dorms all day thinking about the disaster that had happened.

"So, did you guys erase their memories?" Zero asked when it was only Cross and him in the car. Yagari had gone out to attend a hunter's association meeting that he said was important, though mostly it was for him to catch up on what was going on. He had missed many vital meetings due to him watching over Zero for those span of weeks. He didn't regret doing that, no, but he also needed to find out what had been going on since the only lead he had over those weeks were Kuran's vague descriptions. He didn't like feeling out the of the loop of things.

Cross stared back a bit guiltily at Zero, and that was all the answer he needed.

"You didn't erase their memories?" He asked, voice rising. He shot a quick glance to their driver, who was thankfully ignoring the conversation in favor of focusing on the road. Then he shifted his glare to Kaien.

Predictably, Cross glowered, though he was a bit sheepish about it. "Now, Zero, before you get mad, you must understand _why_ we didn't decide to wipe their memories."

Something in the way he said it caught Zero's attention. "We?" he asked.

Cross shifted a bit, not meaning to have let the word slip. "Ah, yes, me and Kaname, we decided this ourselves." Zero began to say something irritant, so he stopped him. "Before you say anything, about the nature of our decision, try to listen to why we allowed them to remember. You've been gone awhile, Zero, much has changed in that time. . ."

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><p><em>Cross closed the door to his office with a small hard thud, sighing against it as he finally got some much needed quiet. His body ached with relief.<em>

_He just got the call from the doctors who had been inspecting Zero after he had been helicoptered to the hospital that his condition, though tedious, was stable and he would wake up in an approximate amount of time. Through all the grief, that small fact gave him a glimpse of hope._

_Though uncharacteristically of him, he poured himself some liqour, something to stabilize him from the emotional rollercoaster that has been the last couple days. Now that most of the immediate issues have been cleared, he had to start deciding what to do with the students._

_The night class students he wouldn't tamper with; it was simply not his place. He would leave that to their respective leaders. But the day class students _were _his responsibility, and unfortunately there was no denying what they had seen that day. Most of the students that had been admitted to the Academy hospital were being released, at least the ones whose condition were not too severe. And they were talking amongst themselves, about the things they had seen. At first their shock and injuries kept them from harping over the matter, but now that a few days have passed and there seemed to be no immediate danger, they were starting to try to make sense of what had happened. Someone had to step in and clear things up, though at the moment that seemed sticky at best, if not a complete disaster. Things were still a wreck, very little hands on board to help and no one keeping the children from being able to spread word of what happened. The media was already all over it, though Kaname's name and power had managed to keep the worst away._

_He drank a long sip, all of these thoughts racing through his head at once. It made his mind whirl, or maybe it was just the liquor._

_Then, he heard a knock. He quickly raised his head, brows knitting. He wasn't expected anyone so late at night._

"_Come in," he said, a bit cautiously. He put the drink down on the other side of the table._

_To say the least, he was definitely _not _expecting to see Kaname Kuran standing in his door._

_Kaien's eyes widened owlishly. "Kaname?" he breathed, for a brief moment wondering if maybe the liquor hit him much harder than usual._

_Kaname smiled lightly. "Cross," he said, and he sounded genuinely happy to see the headmaster. "You're looking well."_

_Cross stared at Kaname for a moment longer, blinking at him as if trying to process _how_ he was there. From what he last heard, Kaname had officially been declared missing after the battle in the field where several piles of ash were found. They were trying not to assume the worst, they really weren't, but from the look of things it didn't look too good for Kaname._

_Then, from behind him, dorm president Takuma stepped beside his old pureblood friend. He bowed respectively at Kaien._

"_What - Takuma?" He shot him a quick curious glance before refocusing his attention back to Kaname. The liquor left his mind foggy and he shook his head quickly to shake it off. "Kaname - where were you!? All of us have been here worried sick over you, and now Zero's hurt-" Cross paused, almosting yelling, shock and anger and relief surging through him. He was happy to see Kaname, he really was, he'd been almost sick with worry over him, but there was no reasonable explanation over why he was suddenly standing in his office like nothing had happened. Like he had not fought in one of the biggest vampire and hunter battles in history._

"_Cross," Takuma said quietly, almost pleadingly. He glanced worriedly to his friend and back to the head master. "If anyone's to blame here, it is me. I was incompetent in my job to protect the night class and day class," he said quietly, guilt momentarily shadowing his face._

_Kaname put a comforting hand over Takuma's shoulder, indicating he did not blame him remotely over what had happened. Then he looked back at Cross._

"_Unfortunately, time does not allow us to talk about things like this. As you may be aware, the day class students are becoming lucid, and they are starting to recall what has happened. This can not spread out to public or else it will draw too much attention, and with the incident that recently happened we can not allow anything to get more out of control. You have to decide now, Kaien, if you're willing to erase the memories of these students over the true nature of the deaths of their classmates, or if you will keep them in the dark again," Kaname said, his face impassive._

_Cross leaned against the desk, hand over his bleary head. He was still trying to process the fact that Kaname was _alive_ and well, and the pureblood was moving way too fast for him._

_Kaname seemed to notice this and gave Kaien a pause before he started again. "There will be time for explanations later, trust me, but right now priorities are currently towards the secrecy of vampires to an entire student body. We either decide to keep the secret safe with these group of people... or do a mass and possibly messy memory wipe. It's your call to make."_

_Kaien looked up at Kaname, and for the first time he saw how sickly weary and exhausted he was. He saw it in his eyes, the way his body barely held together. Numbly, he nodded, understanding that for the moment he needed to wait until Kaname decided to speak about whatever had happened. But he wanted to ask about _her _so badly, if Kaname knew, what had happened. The thought of it gave his heart a tight twist, and he pushed the thought back to his head. He needed to focus on the now, on the students who still depended on him. That's what had been keeping him up and moving for the past few weeks, even when he felt no reason to get up in the morning. Surely, he could put up with it a little longer, especially for the sake of Kaname._

"_I believe," Kaien said after a moment of gathering himself, "that they deserve to know the truth." He had actually been thinking over it for quite a while, and now that he was pushed to the corner, he realized that yes, it did seem like the best choice. It was only fair to the students, who had suffered so. It would be unjust to mess with their minds._

_Kaname nodded, already anticipating this answer. He also seemed to vaguely approve. "Then, that's what will be done of the matter. We should gather up the lucid students and explain to them of the situation. Though, there are. . . certain things we must omit from their memories, for the sake of senate if nothing else. They already have taken issue over us not erasing their memories yet, no need to give them any more ammo."_

_Kaien smiled lightly, though it was empty. He had at least won something. Even if it was only a trivial matter, it made him feel good in his heart to know that his students would at least be able to have their memories mostly in tact._

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><p>Zero scowled at Cross, though most of his anger was reserved at Kaname for allowing such a decision. He knew where Cross' heart laid, and he knew that he at least allowed what happened with good intentions, but he wasn't willing to think so for Kaname. He didn't trust the pureblood one bit.<p>

His thoughts momentarily thought back to what Cross had said at the hospital, about Kaname's blood keeping him alive. He grit his teeth. No, it wasn't the time to be angry. That was something he had to deal with later, on his own.

"So what now? The day class students just accepted this and went on with their normal lives?" he asked bitterly instead.

Kaien stared out the window, his mind still vaguely in his memory. It took a beat longer to answer than regularly. He looked back at Zero, and there was a strange oldness in his eyes.

"I think you should see for yourself."

So that was why Zero was currently rummaging through the dirt and debri of Cross Academy. Why he was observing the day class students, who still respectfully wore their uniforms, helping clean up the mess. There was nothing visibly different about them, at least not immediately. They looked a little worn out, but it was how they held themselves that made the most difference. How they looked at the night class students with more mature eyes, not the old blind adoration they used to see them with.

If nothing else, Cross was right about one thing, and that was that a lot has changed since Zero was last there, even if he didn't understand the true depth of the statement.


End file.
